Olney On D’Backs, Rays, Rangers, Drew, Red Sox
The Mariners have been linked to Josh Hamilton in the past week and Buster Olney of ESPN.com won't rule them out of the hunt. Olney notes that it only takes one aggressive, desperate team to alter a player's market and the M's could be the team that comes out with the winning bid. Here's more from Olney..
- The Diamondbacks believe that the Rays are the second-best possible fit for a trade, behind the Rangers. The Rangers don't want to give up Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar and Justin Upton would give Rays some badly needed offense in the middle of their lineup. However, Tampa Bay might have pause over the pay bump coming to Upton. He is set to earn $9.75MM in next season, $14.25MM in 2014, and $14.5 in '15. The Rays could make that work, but it would mean dedicating roughly 20% of their payroll to one player.
- The A's can comfortably wait to see if Stephen Drew winds up coming back to them for a deal. No matter who Oakland gets at the position, it won't be someone so pricey that they couldn't adjust if Drew decides to return.
- While many expect the Red Sox to deal Jarrod Saltalamacchia and give an increased role to Ryan Lavarnway, some rival evaluators have serious questions about whether he can be a catcher at the major league level. One remarked that he has never seen a catcher with actions as slow as Lavarnway with another noting that "everything has to be perfect" for him to throw a runner out.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Upton, Rays, Youkilis, Dodgers
Here's the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Rangers continue to insist that they will not trade either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar for Justin Upton, which could allow the Rays to emerge as the front-runner. They could offer the Diamondbacks James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson in addition to shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee.
- The White Sox and Phillies are interested in Kevin Youkilis, and the Dodgers are considering him as well. Rosenthal says other clubs are concerned whenever Los Angeles is reportedly in on a player given their financial might.
- The Orioles and Nationals are still engaged in a dispute over money received from MASN — both clubs own the network, but Baltimore's stake is nearly 90% — though Nats GM Mike Rizzo said that will not limit the club's ability to spend.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is not concerned about finding a pure closer. He intends to add the best bullpen arms he can and let things figure themselves out.
- A rival executive told Rosenthal that he expects Dan Haren to sign with the Padres. Haren is a West Coast guy and Padres GM Josh Byrnes originally acquired him from the Athletics while running the Diamondbacks a few years ago.
- “Like him. Don’t love him," said a Red Sox official when asked about Adam LaRoche. Boston is reportedly pursuing the first baseman.
- Joakim Soria and Ryan Madson will not be ready to pitch at the start of the season. Both right-handers are coming off Tommy John surgery.
Nightengale On Hunter, Dodgers, Greinke, Simmons
Here's the latest from Bob Nightengale of USA Today…
- The Dodgers are "aggressively pursuing" Torii Hunter according to a team executive. GM Ned Colletti wouldn't confirm the team's interest, but he did say that he did not have any trade talks about Andre Ethier during the GM Meetings this week.
- The Dodgers will have meetings early next week to formulate a plan that involves signing Hunter and acquiring a frontline starter. They've already spoken to representatives for Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez, but are out on Ryan Dempster.
- The Rangers tried to acquire Andrelton Simmons from the Braves so they could flip him to the Diamondbacks in a deal for Justin Upton. Arizona wants a young shortstop, but Texas is loath to give up Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar. Atlanta wouldn't budge, however.
Six Teams Interested In Nick Swisher
FRIDAY: In addition to the Rangers and Mariners, the Orioles, Phillies, Giants, Braves, and Nationals all have some level of interest in Swisher, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Several clubs are willing to offer three years, and Heyman estimates an annual salary in the $11-13MM range.
THURSDAY: The Rangers, Mariners and three other teams have "serious interest" in free agent Nick Swisher, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Unsurprisingly, Swisher plans to reject the Yankees' qualifying offer and look for a long-term contract on the open market.
Swisher would have earned $13.3MM for 2013 had he accepted the Yankees' one-year qualifying offer, and in rejecting the deal, New York can now earn a compensatory draft pick if Swisher signs elsewhere. The Yankees extended qualifying offers to three of their free agents: Swisher, Rafael Soriano (who will decline) and Hiroki Kuroda.
Swisher has averaged 27 homers and an .836 OPS over the last seven seasons, thus making him in high demand amongst teams looking for power and help at first base or right field. Swisher was reportedly looking for a Jayson Werth-esque seven-year/$126MM contract, a number that might be hard to find unless it were to come from a team that may need to overpay to attract a top free agent hitter. The Mariners could be such a team, though they hope moving in the fences at Safeco Field will help.
The Rangers would likely use Swisher primarily at first base, though they could also have a hole in left field should Josh Hamilton leave in free agency. (ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Red Sox also value Swisher for his versatility.) Swisher's three unknown suitors probably don't include the Yankees, as there is reportedly little chance of Swisher returning to New York.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Rangers Interested In Zack Greinke
The Rangers have joined the fray for Zack Greinke, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Their interest in the free agent right-hander seems to further indicate that Josh Hamilton's time in Texas has come to an end.
The Angels are seen as the favorite to re-sign Greinke according to Heyman, but they'll have plenty of competition. The Rangers are looking for rotation help with Colby Lewis unlikely to be healthy in time for Spring Training and the trio of Scott Feldman, Ryan Dempster, and Roy Oswalt hitting free agency. A nine-figure commitment to Greinke would greatly improve their rotation while also weakening their division rival's.
Because he was traded at midseason, Greinke was ineligible to receive a qualifying offer and will not require draft pick compensation to sign. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked the right-hander as the top free agent available this offseason in his Top 50 Free Agents list, predicted that the would wind up back in Anaheim.
Quick Hits: Giants, Affeldt, Hart, Tigers, Soriano
The 4pm CST deadline for players to accept qualifying offers has come and gone and none of the eight players in play opted to return to their respective clubs for a $13.3MM salary in 2013. That means that Nick Swisher, Hiroki Kuroda, Rafael Soriano, B.J. Upton, Adam LaRoche, Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, and Kyle Lohse will net their teams a compensatory pick if they sign elsewhere. Here's the latest from around baseball..
- The Giants are confident that they will be re-signing Jeremy Affeldt and the club believes that they will work out a three-year deal, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. GM Brian Sabean indicated yesterday that he is optimistic about being about to keep Affeldt, Angel Pagan, and Marco Scutaro.
- Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter) that he has not approached Corey Hart's agent about an extension and doesn't have immediate plans to do so. A report earlier today suggested that the Brewers and Hart were discussing a deal to keep him beyond 2013. The first baseman/right fielder is set to earn $10MM next season.
- The Tigers aren't interested in Soriano and plan to stay in-house to find their closer, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Right-hander Bruce Rondon, 21, will get a chance at the job.
AL West Notes: Hamilton, Fujikawa, Soria, Ryu
Josh Hamilton's asking price of seven years and $175MM is too rich for the Mariners' blood, but if that price drops to $80-85MM over four or five years, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times feels the M's should make a play for the outfielder. We heard yesterday that the Mariners were interested in Hamilton, as the club continues to pursue free agent hitters for the less pitcher-friendly Safeco Field.
Some more news from around the AL West…
- Angels GM Jerry DiPoto said that his team is interested in Japanese right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa and that the feeling is apparently mutual, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Fujikawa has been considered to be Japan's top closer for the better part of a decade and is available to be signed without a posting fee. The Dodgers and Red Sox have also been rumored to be interested in Fujikawa.
- The Rangers apparently made a posting bid on Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, reports Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter), though he doesn't have full confirmation. Teams had until 4PM CT today to place a bid on Ryu, and if the KBO's Hanwha Eagles accepted the highest bid, Ryu and agent Scott Boras could then negotiate a contract with that MLB team.
- The Rangers are interested in right-hander Joakim Soria, reports FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link). At least eight teams have checked in on the former Royals closer thus far, and Soria has also said he would be happy to pitch for the Yankees as Mariano Rivera's set-up man.
- The Astros project to have a very low payroll in 2013, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Houston's payroll could be around $30MM, a big drop from the Padres' $55.2MM league-low payroll on Opening Day 2012, though Rosenthal notes that the MLBPA and Commissioner's Office aren't likely to object given that the Astros are in the first stages of a major rebuild.
Justin Upton Rumors: Thursday
With the Diamondbacks in "active discussions" about Justin Upton, there has been no shortage of trade buzz about the former No. 1 overall draft pick. While the Braves and Yankees are reportedly not interested in Upton, teams as the Red Sox, Rangers and Rays are, though the Rays ironically can't make a serious push until Justin's brother B.J. rejects Tampa Bay's qualifying offer, though he is expected to do so by tomorrow.
Here's the latest about Upton from around the league, with the newest items at the top of the page…
- With input from rival executives, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic lists the Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers and Braves as the top five possible suitors for Upton, with the Pirates and Royals as darkhorse candidates.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told reporters (including Nick Piecoro) that despite some rumors to the contrary, he has had "zero issues" with Upton from a character standpoint. Towers is in "no rush" to make a deal for Upton and said that a potential trade won't prevent him from making other offseason moves. With starting pitching at such a premium in the game, Towers doubted the Snakes would be able to obtain a top pitcher "even in an Upton deal." (All links are to Piecoro's Twitter account.)
- The Rangers aren't willing to include either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar in a deal for Upton, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link), which will likely end trade talks between Texas and Arizona.
- The Red Sox are currently on Upton's four-team no-trade list, though he is willing to waive that protection in Boston's case, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (Twitter links).
- The D'Backs would take a "good young starter" as the "centerpiece" of an Upton trade, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- The Tigers are doing background work on Upton, tweets Nick Piecoro, though the Tigers may not have yet "talked specifics" with the D'Backs.
- "Don't expect" the Blue Jays to acquire Upton, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
Rangers Acquire Tommy Hottovy
The Rangers have acquired Tommy Hottovy from the Royals for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the team announced (on Twitter). Kansas City designated the left-hander for assignment late last week.
Hottovy, 31, spent most of the season in the Triple-A Omaha bullpen. He posted a 2.52 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 50 innings. Earlier today the Royals dealt Jeremy Jeffress, another Triple-A reliever who was removed from the 40-man roster last week, to the Blue Jays.
Sherman’s Latest: Dickey, Wright, Hunter, Upton
Here's the latest from Joel Sherman of The New York Post…
- The Mets are making progress, albeit slowly, in contract talks with David Wright and R.A. Dickey. The impression is that there is still a substantial gap in talks with Dickey, and they've been gauging his trade value during the GM Meetings. They are not doing the same with Wright, however.
- The Yankees would not do a two-year deal worth $20MM or so for Torii Hunter since they want to get under the luxury tax threshold next year. They are fixated on one-year contracts this offseason and could fill their right field hole with a low-cost platoon.
- "The Yankees are not on him," said a source about Justin Upton, in part because they're unsure if he's a good fit for New York (Twitter link). The Rangers and Rays are strongest early players for Upton, and Sherman gets the sense that the D'Backs want to act quickly (Twitter links).
- The Diamondbacks want high-end, MLB ready players in return for Upton and would love to get Jurickson Profar or (more likely) Elvis Andrus from the Rangers. They don't love Mike Olt, however (Twitter links). GM Kevin Towers likes Yankees prospect Mason Williams, but he is several years away from the show and unlikely to be enough to headline a trade package (all Twitter links).
- Next year's crop of free agent starting pitchers is weak, which could benefit Zack Greinke since teams won't be able to find a stopgap and reassess next year. Josh Johnson and Tim Lincecum highlight next winter's pitching crop, and both come with question marks.
- The Mariners, who have young pitching, are said to be talking to the Royals and Twins, who have young hitting. Seattle would love to pry Wil Myers, Aaron Hicks, and/or Ben Revere loose.
- Jason Bay didn't produce with the Mets, but he lived up to his billing as a hard worker and good teammate. Sherman expects the outfielder to take a low-salary, change of scenery deal (Twitter link).
- Mets officials think Scott Hairston will get a two-year deal worth between $8-10MM this winter.